Sneaky Snake II and 3-Rings

Greetings to all!  It's me, Maggie.  Yesterday, Cam and I got to play with our new toys, Sneaky Snake II and 3-Rings.  It was mighty awesome!

After Mom gave them to us, I ran into the Living Room and got busy with 3-Rings.

"Won't be long 'til I have a NICE hole in you, 3-Rings!"

Cam really likes Sneaky Snake II, so they played together.

"You might want to snuggle in close, Sneaky Snake II!"
"Hold me, Cam-O!"

Seriously.  Like I'd hurt Sneaky Snake II.

Yeah, OK.  But not while Cam's playing with him.

Mom shot some vid of all of us playing.  Check it out!

To view on YouTube, please click here.

So, yes. As you could see, I may have started that hole I mentioned. Here is a still shot:

"This is going GREAT!"

Have I mentioned these are "under supervision only" toys?  They are.  I have no idea why.

Mom decided she'd like to play with 3-Rings, too, so we got a little Tug action in:

"Pull, Mom!  Pull!"
"You're too strong, Mags!"

What fun!  We even played a little Siberian Husky Rules Fetch.  Then some more Tug.

"I've got you now!!!"

Oh, yeah.  See that sort of teal-colored fabric?  That used to house one of the squeakers.  I performed a Squeak-ectomy.  For some reason, Mom took the squeaker away and put it somewhere where I can't find it.

"I wouldn't look if I were you, Sneaky!
"She'sssssss got Jawssss of Sssssteel!"

What a fun time!  Mom said we can all play again this afternoon!  I can't wait!

Yours sincerely,

Margaret Thatcher 

PMQs: Heterochromia Iridum and Shoes

Greetings to all!  It's me, Maggie, here with an installment of Questions to the Prime Minister - or PMQs.  We're glad you wanted to see this "column" revised!  Please remember to ask any questions here in the comments section, zip us an email (see sidebar for address), or leave a comment on Mom's FB page.  Let's get started!

First up is a question from our friend Mr. Mark Albee regarding my heterochromia iridum - or the fact that I'm bi-eyed.  He wanted to know ... "Is it true you can see in to 2 worlds?"

Mr. Albee is referring to an old legend that says those who are bi-eyed can see into Heaven and Earth at the same time.

Heaven on Earth, perhaps, but ... seeing Heaven and Earth?

Alas, I must dispel this myth, though canines do have the ability to read peoples' hearts.  Having different "vision", though ... no.  Having said that, I AM fairly certain my mom (who has two browns) can see through walls, as she always seems to know what I'm doing.  It's kind of freaky.

There's another legend that says that bi-eyed sled dogs are faster than dogs with the same color eyes.  This one I just may well buy into, as I am aces at doing zoomies!  Seriously.  Trust me here.

Our dear friend Molly the AireGirl said, "I would love to know how many pairs of sneakers your mom has, Maggie? She sure does have great taste!"  Mmm.  Sneakers.  Taste.

Oh.  Sorry.  Right.  She probably didn't mean "taste" as a verb there.  Well, the shoes are kept in one of the magic closets around here for some reason.  The doors to said places always seem to be closed.  I have no idea why; let's not even discuss it.  That's all in the past.  And in the trash.  Long gone.  Let me try to sneak in and check out the sneakers.  (Ha - get it?  "Sneak" and "sneakers"?  Moving right along...)

OK!  Molly, I managed to drag out just the Salomons - the ones like the pair you saw yesterday.

"Yeah.  She might have a slight addiction problem."

She's partial to these.  After her fall this Spring, it was especially helpful that you don't have to tie them. Their QUICKLACE™ system has a strong one-pull tightening capability - easy-on, easy-off. That could explain why the number of Salomons went from 1 to 4 during her recovery period.  Please keep in mind Mom very rarely wears anything other than running shoes any more - so whereas other women might have pumps and heels and sandals ... our mom has these.

Yeah.  So ... these are just the Salomons.  I'll get Cam to help me haul out some others.  We might need to find a larger room.  Let's just hope Mom doesn't use that "I Can See You, Maggie" vision of hers.

"Too late.  Hi, Mom.  Who, us?  No, we weren't doing anything."
"I have never chewed a shoe in my life.  And don't worry - I'm watching Maggie."

So, there you have the sneaker collection, Molly.  Come to think of it, there were an awful lot of comments about Mom's shoes yesterday!  This wasn't a question, but my very cool kit-cat friend Ditto made an interesting observation about the pair in the Wordless Wednesday shot!  He said, "...they look like they would make a fun head rest for naps."  Funny you should mention that ...

"Right on, Ditto!  Right on, my kit-cat pal!"

Great minds think alike, Ditto!

Remember, if you have any Questions to the Prime Minister, please send them in! Thanks for some great ones this week!

Yours sincerely,
Margaret Thatcher

Wordless Wednesday

Cam (and Mom) and Mags!

Hey ... Wait A Minute!

Greetings to all!  It's me, Maggie!  So there I was the other day, practicing my aircraft carrier landings when ...

"Mmm!  Hey, wait a minute.  Did we change laundry detergent or something?"

I couldn't help it.  The deck of my aircraft carrier --- I mean the quilt --- was so fresh, so clean, so ...

"It smells like a rain forest ...
or better yet, an untouched meadow covered in snow ..."

I think it's the new laundry pods or something.  

Yours sincerely,

Margaret Thatcher

Monday Morning Walkies

Hello, everyone!  It's me, Cam!  Thank you for all of the kind words on yesterday's post!  I sincerely appreciate your prayers and good thoughts!  Today is another great day!

Mom, Dad, Maggie, and I went around the block together!

"I love it when the whole family is together!"
"Me, too!!!"
"Us, too!  Errrr... three.  Or is that four?  I haven't had my coffee yet ..."

We had TONS of fun.  I almost snagged another Cicada, but Mom saw it before I did.  Maybe next time!

It was getting warm by the time we got home, so Mags and I grabbed a quick beverage, then we did this:

"Zzz..."
"Zzz..."

Maggie is always nearby, in case I need anything!

I hope all of you are having a wonderful Monday, too!

Cammie!

Serene Sunday and Public Service Announcement (PSA)

Hello, everyone!  It's me, Cammie.  The other day, I did something that made my mom feel super serene, so I thought I'd tell you about it today.  Oh.  No, not the Cicada Incident, though that was right up there as far as I was concerned!  I mean the other day, I wooed at Mom, letting her know I would like some toy time!

"Yes!  Pickles is exactly what I had in mind!"
"Me, too, Mom?"
"YAY!!!  And yes, you, too, Mags!"

"Did you stuff them full of treats?"
"Lots of treats?!!?"
"YES!"

It was super great!  I took mine onto the bed by the TV for a bit ...

"This is so yummy!  I love stuffed Pickles!"

... then moved over by the fireplace!

"I'm so happy!"

See ... I haven't wanted to or been able to play for a while.  You may have noticed Maggie has been doing double-duty with the blog, or we've been using very carefully taken photos of me.  And today, you can certainly see some of my shaved spots.  I had major surgery a few weeks ago to have an adrenal cortical carcinoma and my right adrenal gland removed.  This past week, I got my staples out and started something called Chemotherapy.  Mom and Dad believe they have chosen the best treatment for me, to give me the best quality of life for as long as God allows. 

We are not telling you this to make you sad or to garner sympathy (though quiet prayers are greatly appreciated).  Please don't put it out on your blogs - this post is enough, probably more than enough.  The reason we are sharing is the PSA part of this post:  If you see ANY changes in your pet's behavior -- please talk to your vet!  The only change I had been exhibiting prior to surgery was an increased thirst.  Thanks to our vet listening to Mom and Dad's concern, we are able to discover and fight this cancer!  There is no question too small or seemingly trivial to ask your veterinarian!  

Please be happy with me - I'm not really aware of what's going on with me, to be honest, I let Mom type the two previous paragraphs.  I'm the same girl I was before, just some shaved spots and not as much energy.  I'm getting stronger every day, though - I even walked all the way around the block today!!!  

For those who are wondering:  Maggie is being the best sister a girl could ask for!  She is keeping close watch over me (can you see her reflection in the fireplace?) and hasn't tried to do the "BOOM" at all.  I think she understands that I'm not quite ready for that!  

Celebrate life, everyone!  And have a serene Sunday!

Cammie!

Selfie Saturday

Greetings to all!  It's me, Maggie!  So ... Mom wanted to get a nice shot of me and Cam the other day.  You know, hanging out, being sweet, looking at the camera.  Ha.  Anyway, we all went out back onto the deck, where Mom proceeded to try and try.  At one point, she gave up and went in the house to get treats ( ... no comment), then gave it another go.

She showed us the treats and ...

"Are those Old Mother Hubbard's?"
"That Mother Hubbard bakes a mean cookie!!"

I think that's pretty good - don't you? She wanted to try again though, with us closer together.  Yeah.  Well, no sooner had she snapped that one shot when she heard a "BUZZZZZ" and saw Cammie pounce onto and eat a Cicada. We're talking faster that you can even THINK about saying "CammieNoNoNo!" It. Was. Awesome. I mean, WOW, can Cam fly when she wants to! I was totally impressed!

Anyway, since Mom had wanted another shot, I thought I'd grab Mom's iPhone and try for a selfie instead.

"I never quite know where to look when I do selfies!"

I was going to try a selfie with both me and Cam in it, but Mom seemed anxious to brush Cam's teeth for some reason.  Go figure.

Have a great Saturday, everyone!

Yours sincerely,

Margaret Thatcher

Questions

Greetings to all!  It's me, Maggie!  Today, I thought I'd take a couple minutes to answer some of the questions you all have posed in the last few days!  Nothing official like PMQs (Questions to the Prime Minister), just answering the "mail", so to speak.

Before I get started, perhaps we should re-start PMQs!  A weekly post where I (and Cam) attempt to answer any of the questions you might have for us.  What would you all think of that?  I only did a few sessions (click for 1, 2, and 3) but that was pretty cool.  Please let me know what you think in the comments!

Question 1!

OK, so yesterday, our friends Murphy and Stanley wanted to know why our mom was wearing a "glove".

She wasn't going for some kind of 1980s fingerless glove look!  Actually, she was wearing her soft splint instead of the hard one which she was supposed to be wearing.  Mom.  She has a couple more weeks in the hard splint for that thumb still.  Click here for longer explanation.  She usually covers the splints with a Buff or Vet Wrap because (1) they're black and are thereby Sibe floof magnets and (2) the Velcro straps are super sharp.

Question 2!

Many of you wanted to know how many treats my mom used to get the shot for Wordless Wednesday.

Oh, please!  Like I wouldn't sit and pose sweetly with Mom not even holding my leash without being bribed!  Please!  What do you take me for?  Some kind of Siberian Husk---oh.  Right.  Page 392 of the Siberian Husky Rule Book, if I remember correctly.  Yeah.  Well, OK.  Truthfully?  Two.  And they were mighty tasty ones.

Question 3!

Our BFF (Best Feline Friend) Madi and her mom wanted to know how normal is it for a Sibe who is bi-eyed to have the blue eye on the left!  All three of the bi-eyed Siberians they know (Misty, Lightning, and me) have the blue eye on the left!

Me!  Brown eye right, blue eye left!

Great question!  And yes, as Madi went on to say, being bi-eyed is totally normal!  Both eyes are 100% normal, have excellent vision, and if you're a show dog, it's perfectly acceptable -- not a pro or a con.  The blue can be on the right or the left!  Let's take a look at all of my great sisters and great brothers who came before me here at Ao4 Headquarters, for example!

Mom and Dad's first Siberians, Jesse and Lucky, were both bi-eyed.  Like me, they opted to go "blue eye left".  Here is a pic of them as wee puppies:

Jesse and Lucky

Mighty adorable, don't you think?  For lots more photos of them, you can enter their names into the search engine on our blog!  We've featured them quite a few times!

We don't want to leave our great brother Booter out; he had awesome eyes!  He was an honorary Sibe, but was actually a Lab/Australian Shepherd mix.  He had two coppery-brown eyes.

Booter!  Honorary Siberian

The original members of the Ao4 were Stormy, Amber, Zimmie, and Dave.  The girls and Zim were bi-eyed, and Davy had two beautiful blue eyes.  Here's a collage from a post they put up back in 2006:

Top to bottom:  Stormy, Amber, Zim, and Dave

As you can see, Storms and Ammy were "blue eye right"!  And look closely at Stormy's dark brown eye -- she was also parti-eyed -- there was a flash of blue in the inner corner!  Awesome!  If you look closely at the first photo I posted today, the one of me, you'll see that I also have a party-eye.  I mean "parti-eye".  In my blue eye, I have some amber coloring up in the top inside corner.

So of the bi-eyed Sibes in our family, the members of the "blue eye left" camp are Jesse, Lucky, Zimmie, and me.  Storm and Amber were "blue eye right".  4 to 2.  I think it's a coincidence that we outnumber the other campers.  

Davy was our only "two blue eyes" Sibe, and in addition to our "honorary Sibe" Booter, Cammie is a proud member of the "two brown eyes" club.

My beautiful sister Cam's chocolate-y brown eyes

So to wrap it up, "blue eye left", "blue eye right", or two of the same color -- it all happens.  And we love them all!!!

Thanks for some great questions, everyone!  Remember, if you'd like to see a return of PQMs, just let us know in the comments!

Yours sincerely,
Margaret Thatcher

We've Been Painted!

Hello, everyone!  It's me, Cammie!  Maggie, Mom, Dad, and I got a delightful surprise in the mail this week -- thread-painted ornaments of us Siber-girls!  Check them out:

"Cam! Mags!  Look at how beautiful these are!"
"Oh, WOW!"
"Hey!  It's us!"

Mom's very creative friend, our Aunt Denise (some of you may know her as Genny and Chai's mom!) MADE these!  With thread!  Let's get a better look!

Thread painted ornaments!

Aunt Denise started up a business not long ago called "DogGone Memories" (website at that link, FaceBook page at this link).  Here's a quote from her website to help explain:

DogGone Memories uses fabric and thread to create artful memories of our beloved companions, past and present. Pet memorial quilts with photo images and thread painted portraits are my specialties. 25% of proceeds go to animal rescues.

Isn't that fabulous?!?  We love the part about animal rescue!  Mom has gifted a couple special friends larger thread paintings of their pups, and a while ago, Aunt Denise asked if she could use photos of us as models for prototype ornaments!  Wow!  We were honored.  As a surprise, she sent us the ornaments this week!!!

Here is the photo Mom sent her of me:

"Hello!"

... and here's a close up of the thread painting she did:

ME in thread!

Her colors are perfect and she captured my "look" perfectly!  Let's take a look at Maggie's!

Here's the photo Mom sent:

"Ha roo!"

... and here's Maggie's ornament:

The Peep!

Her attention to detail is remarkable - and to be able to do it on something this small is amazing!  Mom knows that is a huge challenge!  Aunt Denise is so creative, so skilled, and wow, so very generous, too!

If you're interested in her work, please check out her website!  She does all kinds of thread paintings and quilts, personalized just for you!  Fellow pups and kit-cats, maybe you'd like to be thread-painted -- or perhaps your people would like a memory of a past pet stitched into something special!  She will work with you, creating something unique and oh, so special!  

Thank you again, Aunt Denise!

Cammie!

(And Mags, Mom, and Dad!)

PS:  We were gifted these ornaments with no strings attached.  (Threads, yes, strings, no. 😁) We asked if we could blog about them because they are such lovely, one-of-a-kind keepsakes.  We know some of our readers would be very interested to know about DogGone Memories and wanted to share with you!

Wordless Wednesday

Yours sincerely,
Margaret Thatcher

New Food-Maker

Greetings to all!  It's me, Maggie!  So, yeah, there's a new food-maker in town.  Oh, I don't mean person-wise, it's still Mom. I mean machine-wise!  Check it out -- this is the first thing that it made:

Smoked and grilled burger with smoked onions!
Homegrown tomato courtesy of my favorite neighbor, Tao.

Doesn't that look great?!? Ah. I know what you're wondering.  The answer is no. No, I did not get to help. Why not? This is where I was:

"How am I supposed to help from in here?"

Seriously. Dad got to go out and help, but me? NO. Something about "NoNoMaggieHotHotHOT" or something equally trivial. Bummed me right out. Do people say that any more? Cam didn't get to help either - that's her   napping  standing guard duty behind me. Anyway ...

It's a super-duper wood pellet grill and Mom and Dad are all kinds of excited about it.  They even bought a pizza oven attachment that goes inside of it, so Mom can make wood-fired pizzas.  Today, an accessory for that came in the mail; I felt obligated to check it out.

"Check it out, Mags!  What do you think?"
"This is ... very appealing."

Ha!  Get it?  "Appealing"?!?  And it's a pizza peel?!?

"Oh, Mags.  Groannnn!"
"Hey.  Somebody had to say it!"

Anyway, pizza is next on the smoking agenda.  I can't wait!

Oh.  As per the second photo, the pellet grill gets to live by the back door, under the covered deck, but when Mom fires it up, it will go on the outer deck.  Mom and Dad don't want a visit from the Fire Department!  And the puppy food container really has extra wood pellets in it, not kibble.  Unfortunately.

I'll let you know if Mom makes anything really cool with it --- like treats for me and Cam!!!

Yours sincerely,

Margaret Thatcher

Toy Tower Take Down

Greetings to all!  It's me, Maggie.  Remember a while ago, I told you about how Mom builds towers with my toys, then I knock them down?  It's a very fun game. Near the end of playing Toy Tower, things get a bit more ... subdued. We shot a short vid and thought you might enjoy seeing me in action.

To view on YouTube, please click here.

As I said, that's the subdued version.  For some reason, it's hard to get the more active parts of Toy Tower Take Down captured on video or in still shots!

Have a great day, everyone!

Yours sincerely,
Margaret Thatcher

Serene Scenery Sunday

Greetings to all!  It's me, Maggie.  This week for Serene Scenery Sunday, we thought we'd send Mom out to the Butterfly Garden to see how things are going.  There was a whole lot of activity down there!  Mom shot a video and we thought we'd share that with you.  Grab a beverage, then sit back and enjoy!

To view on YouTube, please click here.

I don't know about you, but this is how serene I feel right now:

Have a great Sunday, everyone! Find some serenity!

Yours sincerely,
Margaret Thatcher

Quality Time

Hello, everyone.  It's me, Cammie.  Maggie is out having Daddy-Daughter time this morning, and Mom and I are spending some quality time together.

"What'ssssss shaking, readersssssssss?"
"Oh.  And Mr. Snake is with us, too."

Maggie doesn't really need to know what we were up to, OK?

Have a great weekend!

Cammie!

Supervised Toy Time

Greetings to all!  It's me, Maggie!  Mom let Cam and me play with my new birthday toys the other day - they aren't "leave down all the time" ones, so we have limited access.  We had been playing for just a little while when ...

"What's up, Cam?  Wanna switch?  If you're bored, we can swap out!"

I wasn't sure if she was taking a break, or if she was bored with Mr. Snake.

"Just taking a break, Mags."

Just trying to be helpful.

"OK.  No problem. I've got a hole started in this baby anyway.  Won't be long before the floof starts to fly ..."

"Stay right here with me, Mr. Snake!"
"Thanksssssss, Cam!"

I think my other Sneaky Snake may have filled Mr. Snake in on my chewing super powers. I might need to separate those two in the Magic Toy Closet.

Yours sincerely,
Margaret Thatcher

Do I Hear ...

Hello, everyone!  It's me, Cammie.  I was going to tell you about some quality time I spent with Maggie's new Snake yesterday, but then I got distracted.  "By what?" you might ask.  I heard someone calling my name.

"Come to Cammie, you juicy, cold chunk of yumminess!"
"Mmmm!!!!"

Well, right.  Not quite so much "someone" as "something".  It was a cantaloupe, Mom was slicing it open, and it was definitely calling my name!  Maggie's, too.

"Your turn, Mags."
"This is heavenly!"

We are really good about taking turns like that - and about taking food gently.  People are always impressed with that and go, "Aren't you sweet?  Here's another one!"  I mean, really.  It pays well!

Maggie's new Snake is really fun and all, but cantaloupe beats just about anything!

Cammie!

Wordless Wednesday

Cam and Mags

Birthday Highlights

Greetings to all!  It's me, Mags!  Before I get to today's post, I would like to thank all of you for the birthday wishes, both here and on Mom's FaceBook account!  We did a lot to celebrate me turning FOUR yesterday, and I've got a few of the highlights for you now!

After a wonderful morning chock-full-o-fun, Cam and I had lunch, then I got some presents!!!

"Happy birthday, Maggie!"
"Happy birthday, Peep!"
"Oh, WOWZERS!"

Aren't they cool!?! I got to choose which one I wanted to play with first.  I made my selection and ran into the Living Room with it.

"This is so cool!"

Cam really likes the new sneaky snake, so I was happy to let her play with it!

"I really like th--what are you two doing?!?"

Mom and I were playing tuggy-tug with my new toy!

"Uhhh... Cam's right, Mom.  Should you be using that hand for this?"
"Oh.  Right.  I mean left.  I mean ..."

"Better choice, Mom!"
"Thanks, Mags!  Let's play!"

"Honestly.  I'd put Mom in a cone if I thought it would help!"

Anyway, we had great fun playing with my new toys, then Cam and I posed for a birthday photo!

"Do you really HAVE cheese, or are you just using that old cliché?"
"CHEESE!!!!!"

Cam was a bit more skeptical than I was.  I was on a bit of a birthday high!

Later that day, we got a new treat for us! We love bananas, but we'd never had ...

"Frozen bananas?!?!"
"How about another slice, Mom?!!?"

They. Were. Incredible!

What an awesome birthday! Thanks for being a part of it!

Yours sincerely,
Margaret Thatcher